Retirement Village Reforms To Protect Baulkham Hills Residents

Baulkham Hills retirement village residents will benefit from a new package of reforms recently announced by the state government.

Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the package includes a four-point plan that will put consumers first and protect residents from potentially dodgy practices.

“Retirees have worked hard their whole life so I’ll be coming down on any operators who have not complied with the law,” he said.

“This plan will put consumers first by making contracts more transparent, giving residents the tools to compare costs, and cracking down on providers through a compliance blitz.”

Baulkham Hills State Liberal MP David Elliott said the plan also includes an inquiry that will make sure residents have the protections they deserve, while ensuring retirement village operators are complying with the law.

Kathryn Greiner AO will head the inquiry, which will examine all registered retirement villages across NSW, and their compliance with the Retirement Villages Act 1999.

“This inquiry will safeguard the rights of residents in Baulkham Hills retirement villages, and be tough on those who take advantage of our seniors,” Mr Elliott said.

The package also includes:

An overhaul of the Retirement Villages Regulation 2009, which NSW Fair Trading recently sought feedback on, that included proposed changes requiring greater transparency around fees and charges in contracts;

Introducing an online calculator that will help prospective residents, and their families, better understand the estimated costs of living in a retirement village; and,